The varieties with warm winter resistance with low chilling requirements alone are suitable to the hills.

Early varieties
These varieties bears yield during April – May.
Irish Peach and Zouches Pipin are popular early varieties.

Mid season varieties
These varieties bears yield during June – July.
The popular mid season varieties are KKL 1, Carrington and Winterstein.

Late varieties
These varieties bears yield during August – September.
Rome Beauty, Parlin’s Beauty and KKL 1 are early varieties.

1) Soil and climate
Red lateritic soils with good drainage and high organic matter are more suitable. The soil pH should be around 5.8 to 6.2. Apple can be grown at an elevation of 1200 to 2000 m

2) Season of planting
Planting spreads from June to December

3) Planting material
One year old grafts with M.778 or M.779 as rootstocks can be used for planting.

4) Spacing
Apple is normally planted at a spacing of 4 x 4 m in pits of 60 cm x 60 cm x 60 cm.

5) Irrigation
Watering is done until the plants get established.

The tree is trained to open centre system. Pruning done during November enables harvest during June – July and pruning during January will enable harvest during July – September.

Apple scab
To control apple scab, the following spray schedule at various stages of the crop can be followed:

1. Silver tip to green tip        : Captafol or Mancozeb or Captan 2 g/lit.

2. Pink bud or after 15 days : Captan or Mancozeb 2 g/lit.

3. Petal fall                         : Carbendazim 0.5 g/lit.

4. 10 days after petal fall     : Captan or Mancozeb 2 g/lit.

5. 14 days after fruit set       : Captafol 2 g/lit.

Add stickers like Triton AE or Teepol at 10 ml/10 lit of spray fluid.  Use low volume sprayers.

Lichens
Spray quick lime @ 1 kg/20 lit of water after pruning to control lichens growth.